1. Technical Field
The disclosed embodiments relate in general to video conferencing technology and, more specifically, to systems and methods for conveying physical state of a remote device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Supporting remote collaboration and allowing a participant to get a sense of presence in a remote space has been the focus of research and commercial systems. One solution that has been offered is to augment video conferencing by representing a remote participant through a device that can move (either as a full-size robot or as a desktop device). These solutions allow the remotely participating participant to look around the room, which results in such participant's improved ability to follow the conversation.
However, it has been shown that despite the ability to “move” and look around, participants participating in a conference remotely do not feel present in the remote space. It is likely that this is because they cannot experience the changes in their physical representation in the remote space.
As would be appreciated by those of skill in the art, in view of the aforesaid deficiencies of the conventional technology, new and improved systems and methods that provide remote participants with physical and/or virtual cues about the physical state of their remote representation are needed.